Gaseous discharge device



Sept. 5, 1933. H w PARKER 1,925,110

GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Jan. 4, 1933 INVENTOR Hem- W Parker BY I; ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1933 Henry W. Pal-her,

are chiefly used rises producing gaseous discharge device the manufacture and op greatly simplified end ienomic factor is rendered on A further obj ducing e. gaseo tremely simple ficient in operation.

A still further object comprises pr gaseous discharge device fied design, functions as tremely efficiently and efl'e flux is substantially all e of the device. I

I accomplish ell oi the above do suits and others which will hereineite out and discussed, by a novel simplifi 5 tion wherein the gas or vapor i substance such as mercury is enclosing vitreous envelope to only of the envelope that th he eillciently and shielded and electro very the intensity oi 2 cm aware that devices or tubes employing source of modulated light In gested and I am familiar wit l have found, however, that oil such r in use are quite compil ssurily elaborate and ore thereto manufacture and d mcult to perete. They also usuclly involve cooling which still further creases the cost oi menui'acture'cnd operation. I have discovered that by means of the novel construction hereinafter fully described, 1 cm able to produce o gaseous discharge device he used as a. source oi module-ted lie arts, as, for instance, in tel extremely simple design and menuiucture and operas thus rendering the so ect contemplated comprises prous discharge device which is ormotion end yet highly eiwhich, while of simplia source of light exctively in that the light mitted from one portion r he pointed ed construcrom e. vcporizolcle directed vvithiu on word one extremity e vapor stream may effectively elgctrostaticany tlon O1 the envelope 1 near the extremity 2 there magnetically cgmmiied m oi, I prefer to piece a metallic slotted shield c the light emitted therefrom. i gaseous discharge mercury vapor us u been hitherto smh such devices now ow suggested 0 ceted and unnecs fore expensive maintain and o provisions for water evision, end of such construction that its tion is urectly facilitated, ouomic iector thereof so pouring end forming e n end in which like re Responding ports lolly sectioned elevu tes diegmmmeticchy e. circuit my devices when employed ior UNITED STATES PATENT GFFiCE GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as- Rogers Radio Tubes, Limited, Toronto, Canada, a corporation of Canada Application January 4, 1933. Serial No. 850,169

6 Claims. (ill. 176-.122) pertains to gaseous discharge tes particularly to that class of ch are frequently termed tubes, al electrodes and television purposes or any other purpose requiring a modulated source of light.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly.

to Fig. 1 which is a, partially sectioned elevation of s. preferred embodiment 01 my improved device. The envelope 1 is preferably constructed of a transparent vitreous material such as glass or quartz and is formed to have a tubular por-- tion with extremities as c and 2 and o. well por tion 11. A quantity of veporizeble substance 9 such as mercury is maintained in the well portion. A conduit 5 preferably of glass or quartz is provided for substantially closing the opening of the well portion into the tubular portion and is formed to extend substantially cxielly within the tubular portion of the envelope l'with the open extremity oi the conduit 5 directed toward the extremity 2 oi the tubular portion 'of the envelope 1. The conduit 5 serves to directvepor of the sub stance 9 toward the extremity 2 of the envelope 1.

There is provided in the conduit 5, near the union thereof with the well portion ii, on operture which serves to drein condensed vapor from the tubular portion of the envelope 1 to the well portion 11.

After the substance 9,1 preferably mercury, is pieced in the well portion, the envelope is exheusted and sealed at '7. Around the tubular per- 0 which is connected to ground as shown in Fig. 1 end which serves it dual purpose. It acts as on electrostatic shield for the device and further sets to prevent loss or light flux from the walls of the tubular portion oil the envelope.

There is provided on inductance lo surrounding the well portion ll through which rodioireuueucy currents are conducted to serve as local inductive heating meeius for the mercury 9 end to thus vaporize the mercury. A further inducteuce coil 3 surrounds the tubular portion of the envelope and curries modulated redio ireouency currents for the purpose of producing and modulating light in accordance with any desired signals such as television signals.

In the operation oi my improved device, the mercury vapor evolved from the mercury 9 is blown from the open extremity of conduit 5 is directed toward the extremity i of the envelope 1. mercury vapor is oi high com cluctivity end at on uppreciuhle pressure end therelore allows ciurents induced from the inductence 3 to allow therein provided thet the inductence 3 is energized by radio frequency ciurents. The induced inthe mercury vapor generate lotus uuontities of light dun end this light in my novel design is coed-cod in one portion of the envelope l and is prectlcelly ell emitted from the extremity ll The light may modulated oy o modideted mo light is proportional to the instantaneous value of the modulated radio frequency current. The back wall 6 and in fact all of that portion of the device near the well portion 11, in the; operation of the device, remains at a temperature which is insufiicient to maintain the mercury at the vapor pressure necessary for the production of the inductive heating effect and the creation of light and the mercury therefore condenses upon the inner walls of this portion of the envelope and especially upon the portion 6 and thus acts as a reflector which with the shield 4 insures that substantially all of the light flux is emitted from the extremity 2 of the envelope.

It will be noted that the well portion 11 is located near one extremity of the tubular portion of envelope 1 and at that extremity furtherest removed from the portion in which the light and heat is generated.

Referring now to Fig. 2 in whichI have shown a diagrammatic representation of a circuit utiliz ing my improved device as a source of modulated light for visualizing modulated radio frequency currents such as are utilized intelevision and other similar arts, it will be noted that the modulation inductance 3 and the heating inductance 10 are connected in series and to a resonant circuit 16 which is included in the output circuit of the thermionic amplifier 12 provided with a source of anode potential 15 and cathode energizing source 14. Any source of modulated radio frequency current may be connected to the input terminals 13 and impressed upon the grid and cathode of the tube 12 ior producing irom my improved device modulated light in accordance with the modulations oi-the radio frequency current applied.

For the sake of clarity I have omitted in 2 the electrostatic shield d. This, however, 1 prefer to util'me as it serves not only as an electrostatic shield but also as a means for conserving and directing light flue: toward extremity 2 of the envelope 1.

It will he noted from the foregoing that by my novel design Iam able to reduce a device otthis type the bare essentials necessary to perform the desired result; that by such novel design I clearly simplify, cheapen and facilitate the manuiacture and operation of the device and thereby render the economic factor thereof a It will be further noted that my device is selfcontained, and does not require complicated water-cooling equipment as in the practical design of my device the dimensions of the envelope 1 and its form and proportions are so chosen that the portion thereof including the well portion 11 is maintained at a temperature, when the device is in operation, sufiiciently low to insure that the mercury vapor in this portion of the envelope will condense and return as a liquid through aperture 8 to the well portion that the cycle of operation of the device may be continuous without resorting to water cooling and its necessary complications.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my device it is to be distinctly'understood that I may modify the form thereof without departing from the spirit or narrowing the scope of my invention.

Having thus completely described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

v 1. In a gaseous discharge device, a closed envelope of vitreous material, a well attached to 1,925,110 frequency current and the modulation of the said envelope, a substance adapted to be vaporized in said well, a conduit substantially closing said well and extending within said envelope with the open. end thereof directed toward one end of said envelope, an inductance coil surrounding said well and an inductance coil surrounding said envelope.

' 2. In a gaseous discharge device, a'closed vitreous envelope comprising, an elongated portion and a well portion, a vaporizable substance in said well portion, a conduit substantially closing said well portion and so positioned within said elongated portion that vapor from said vaporizable substance is'directed toward one extremity only of said elongated portion, an aperture leading from said envelope to said well to permit condensed vapor to drain into said well, an electrostatic shield on said elongated portion, an inductance coil surrounding said shield and an inductance coil adjacent said well portion. V

3. In a gaseous discharge device, a container of vitreous material comprising a tubular portion and a well portion, a vaporizable substance in said well portion, a conduit substantially closing said well portion for directing vapor from said 190 vaporizable substance toward one extremity only of said tubular portion, an aperture in the base of said conduit for draining condenser vapor from said tubular portion to said .well portion, an electrostatic shield on said tubular portion and 195 interconnected inductance coils surrounding said electrostatic shield and said well portion.

4. In a gaseous discharge device, a container of vitreous material comprising a substantially tubular portion and a well portion, a quantity of 110 mercury in said well portion, means substantially closing said well portion for directing vapor from said mercury toward one extremity only of said tubular portion, means for draining condensed mercury from said tubular portion directly into 115 said well portion, an electrostatic shield on said tubular portion and interconnected inductance coils surrounding said electrostatic shield and said well portion.

5. In a gaseous discharge device a container oi vitreous material comprising, a substantially tubular portion and a. well portion, a quantity of mercury maintained in said well portion, a conduit substantially closing said well portion and formed to extend axially within said tubular portion with the open extremity of said conduit directed toward one extremity of said tubular portion, anaperture in the base of said conduit for draining condensed mercury vapor from said tubular portion direct to said well portion, an electrostatic shield on said tubular portion and interconnected inductance coils surrounding said electrostatic shield and said well portion.

6. In a gaseous discharge device, a container of M vitreous material comprising a substantially tubular portion and a well portion located near one extremity of said tubular portion, a quantity of mercury in said well portion, a conduit substantiaily closing said well portion and formed to extend axially within said tubular portion with 140 the open extremity thereof directed toward the opposite extremity of said tubular portion to which said well portion is attached, an aperture in the base oi said conduit for draining condensed mercury vapor from said tubular portion into 1 5 said well portion, an electrostatic shield on said tubular portion and inductance coils surrounding said electrostatic shield and said well portion, respectively.

mm: W. PARKER. 

